[geos-devel] GEOS License and iOS usage

[Stefan Klug]

Am 08.08.2012 um 11:51 schrieb Sandro Santilli:

> On Wed, Aug 08, 2012 at 11:15:33AM +0200, Stefan Klug wrote:
>> Hi everybody,
>> 
>> I'd like to include libspatialite (https://www.gaia-gis.it/fossil/libspatialite/index ) in a proprietary iPhone App. libspatialite depends on GEOS which is licensed under LGPL.
>> As far as I know, it is possible to use LGPLed software on iOS if the object files for custom relinking are provided. There are still problems in using LGPLed software on iOS listed in http://stackoverflow.com/questions/459833/which-open-source-licenses-are-compatible-with-the-iphone-and-app-store
>> specifically the need for a free iOS SDK which obviously isn't available.
>> 
>> So what do you, the developers of geos, think about using it on iOS? Do you generally approve the usage on iOS?
>> 
>> Are there any chances to license GEOS under a more permissive license like MPL or to tri-license it like stated in http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/boilerplate-1.1/mpl-tri-license-html ?
>> 
>> I know this is a difficult question, but it would be a pity, not being able to use geos on mobile devices because of these constraints.
> 
> Sorry, there's a bug in your last statement.
> It's not impossible to use geos on "mobile devices".
> It is just that specific mobile device preventing its users from
> changing applications that run on it.
Yes you are right. I should have written "iPhones". Android allows shared libraries. I'm not sure about Windows Phone though.

> Beside, isn't spatialite GPL ?
No, spatialite is MPL tri-licensed. So it is available under MPL 1.1, GPL v2 and LGPL v2.1

Regards Stefan